The present invention relates to sticks to be used in games such as ice hockey or the like.
As is well known, sticks of this type receive the greatest amount of wear along the bottom edge of the blade, since this is the part of the stick which slides on the ice, for example. In the case where the blade has layers laminated to the side surfaces thereof, these layers are undesirably damaged at their bottom edges as the blade becomes worn during use thereof.
Thus, for example, it is known from Finnish patent No. 42,515, to make a stick of the above type from a number of core pieces which determine the dimensions such as the thickness of the stick. Reinforced plastic laminations are situated symmetrically on both sides of the core pieces and extend along the entire stick, with outer wood veneer courses being provided to protect the reinforced plastic laminations.
Experience has shown that such sticks indeed have high grade strength characteristics. However, the weakest point of such a stick has proved to be at the lower edge of the blade thereof, since this is the region which is exposed to wear. As an indirect consequence of the wear and tear which occurs at the lower edge of the blade, the reinforced plastic laminations, which are essential for the strength of the stick, are torn away from the core pieces at the lower region of the blade, thus resulting in destruction of the blade portion of the stick.
In addition, it is conventional when manufacturing sticks of this type to provide suitable joints between the plurality of core pieces. Joints such as tongue-and-groove joints are provided, for example. Thus, by way of such joints the core pieces are joined together to have a configuration corresponding to the final stick, and then layers such as reinforced plastic layers are laminated to the core pieces, with wood veneer or the like being laminated to the reinforced plastic so as to protect the latter.
However, procedures of this type require a considerable amount of time and labor particularly with respect to the joints between the several core pieces, thus increasing undesirably the cost of the stick.